Borders can’t stem migrants’ search for a better life

Cái khó ló cái khôn is a Vietnamese proverb, which means most of us seldom take the trouble to think. Crises and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, they force us to think.

Another humanitarian crisis near a European border. Not in a rickety boat this time, but in a refrigerated lorry driven by a man from Northern Ireland. Why were those 39 people in the lorry in the first place and why were they heading to the UK? Organised gangs of people smugglers prey on this context. Families would have spent life savings and incurred impossible debts to pay for a way out for these 39 daughters and sons. They are sold romantic stories of glorious Britain where jobs are plentiful and people are welcoming. They gamble with their lives on an opportunity to earn money to send home to their poverty-stricken families. Only to be at best forced into modern slavery on a cannabis farm in Derbyshire or a nail bar in London.

It seems that most of the 39 Vietnamese were from Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces. These regions are very poor — the average monthly wage is less than the national average . Unemployment is rife and Ha Tinh province was the site of an environmental disaster in 2016. A chemical spill from a Taiwanese-owned steel factory poisoned 201km of coastline along the northern shore and decimated the fishing industry in this region.

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Allan Gray was an investment disruptor - and changed many young livesWhile professional investors will remember him as someone who upended the industry, for many young South Africans he brought change through scholarships and bursaries.
Source: News24 - 🏆 4. / 80 Read more »

ANC must face the truth about home affairs’ ineptitudeThe ANC has not implemented a proper system of assessing potential migrants, coupled with the almost total lack of any control over our borders.
Source: TheCitizen_News - 🏆 6. / 75 Read more »

Alicia Keys speaks out on frustrations with gender stereotypes'It gets concerning to me that we can’t just explore these different sides of ourselves'
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »

Faith Nketsi causes a storm with new EP, 'Disrespectful'She received a lot of hate and side-eyes from social media, but a few celebs stanned with Faith's new venture and DJ Maphorisa gave her his full support.
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »

Divers recover 'severed arm' floating in Durban Harbour | The PostWhen divers from Durban Search and Rescue and Metro Police Search and Rescue heard about a severed arm seen floating in the Durban Harbour, they wasted no time in having it recovered. PostNewspaperSA
Source: IOL - 🏆 46. / 51 Read more »

9 investment elements your parents wish they hadSPONSORED | The world of investing remains a scary place for the uninitiated and uninformed but we have at our disposal a comprehensive set of tools for improving our understanding, and creating a plan that services individual needs and risks. – sanlam
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »